Dairy Queen names Maola Dairy of the Year

By Eddie Fitzgerald, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Thursday, November 22, 2012 at 02:35 PM.

Maola is now owned by the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, consisting of 1,500 dairy farmers from Pennsylvania to Georgia. More than 325 Maola workers are employed in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, Nicoll said

People in the three states are very familiar with the Maola products that include frozen treats, fresh milk, half and half, juices, eggnog, premium ice creams and whipping cream.

Nicoll said the company is proud to be the local, farmer-owned brand of choice for consumers.

“A lot of people who buy our products are friends, people we go to church with and work with here,” he said.

Susan Moffat Thomas, executive director of Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp., said she thought Maola receiving the award was “fantastic.”

“Any time a local business receives outstanding recognition, particularly a business like Maola with such a constructive economic climate for the community, it’s a great thing,” Thomas said. “Maola has been here for years and it is a very important part of New Bern’s economy. Congratulations on a job well done.”

Maola Milk & Ice Cream Co. of New Bern recently received the most coveted award in its industry: Dairy Queen’s Dairy of the Year.

This is the first time the company, which has been affiliated with Dairy Queen for 40 years and was founded in New Bern, has won the award.

Steve Nicoll, general manager of Maola Milk & Ice Cream Co., said it was an honor to be recognized as the Dairy of the Year during Dairy Queen’s annual convention in Albuquerque, N.M. in October.

“It’s a pretty prestigious award,” Nicoll said. “It is the most coveted award presented by Dairy Queen. Our longstanding relationship with Dairy Queen has been a win-win for all involved, and we hope it continues for many more decades,” Nicoll said.

Nicoll said the award was based on a lot of different criteria, including in-plant inspections, third-party inspections, quality testing, shelf life, taste, service and overall customer satisfaction.

“We are beyond excited about this recognition,” Nicoll said in a statement. “Here at Maola we focus on providing the freshest products and delivering the best possible customer service. We know that in today’s environment, going the extra mile for a customer means something, and this award proves that we’re on the right track.”

Maola has been an industry staple in New Bern since it was founded here in 1935 as an ice cream business. People in New Bern are used to seeing the tanker trucks carrying milk to the plant or freight trucks hauling product out of New Bern to all parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Maola is now owned by the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, consisting of 1,500 dairy farmers from Pennsylvania to Georgia. More than 325 Maola workers are employed in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, Nicoll said

People in the three states are very familiar with the Maola products that include frozen treats, fresh milk, half and half, juices, eggnog, premium ice creams and whipping cream.

Nicoll said the company is proud to be the local, farmer-owned brand of choice for consumers.

“A lot of people who buy our products are friends, people we go to church with and work with here,” he said.

Susan Moffat Thomas, executive director of Swiss Bear Downtown Development Corp., said she thought Maola receiving the award was “fantastic.”

“Any time a local business receives outstanding recognition, particularly a business like Maola with such a constructive economic climate for the community, it’s a great thing,” Thomas said. “Maola has been here for years and it is a very important part of New Bern’s economy. Congratulations on a job well done.”

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at eddie.fitzgerald@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.